Regulating health and care V Levels at subject level

As Ofqual is a public body, we must comply with the public sector equality duty in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. In developing these proposals, we have considered the likely impact on persons who share particular protected characteristics. 

The proposals for Subject Level Conditions (SLCs) are based on the Department for Education's (DfE’s) proposed subject content. DfE is responsible for setting subject content for V Levels, and for considering whether the proposed content could have an impact on students with particular characteristics. Ofqual is responsible for assessment of the subject content and has a role in advising on the potential implications for assessment arising from proposed content. For Ofqual to adopt DfE’s subject content into its regulatory framework, it must be satisfied that any equality impacts have been sufficiently identified and mitigated. We consider whether the proposed content will allow us to regulate for effective assessments to be developed, and we base our proposals for assessment of each subject on the subject content, and in the context of the V Levels rules that have already been set. 

This assessment considers the potential equality impacts – positive and negative – arising from our proposed Subject Level Conditions, both for students who share particular protected characteristics and for those who may be affected due to other factors such as socio-economic background. We welcome views on the impacts identified, suggestions for mitigation, and any additional impacts not identified. 

Subject content and assessment objectives 

We propose to require awarding organisations to develop assessments that cover the nationally set subject content as specified by DfE. Subject content is a matter for DfE, and DfE will conduct its own equality impact assessment on its draft content. As our subject-level proposals reflect DfE’s policy intention, we consider that they will have no identifiable equality impact. 
 
We also propose to set subject-specific assessment objectives and associated guidance for each V Level subject, the wording of which is set out within this consultation. This will help to ensure that assessments developed by awarding organisations against nationally set subject content are designed in a comparable way and support the setting and maintenance of standards. Overall, this should have a positive impact on all students, as it will support consistency across awarding organisations. 

Assessment methods 

We propose that the new qualifications will include a balance of assessment methods. By specifying a balance of assessment methods, students will not be wholly assessed by either Assessment by Examination (AbE) marked by the awarding organisation or by Non-exam Assessments (NEA) marked by the centre or the awarding organisation. This will have a positive impact on all students as they will have the opportunity to demonstrate what they know, understand and can do in more than one type of assessment. 

Our regulations will ensure consistency across awarding organisations so that V Levels in the same subject will have the same proportion of Assessment by Examination and Non-exam Assessment. This will ensure that they have a consistent experience of assessment regardless which awarding organisation’s qualification they take within a subject.  

It is important to note that Assessment by Examination does not have to be in the form of a written test or written examination and awarding organisations may develop other forms of assessment that meet our requirements. Regardless of assessment method, disabled students will be entitled to reasonable adjustments, as they would be with any regulated qualifications. 

Terminal assessment 

We propose to put in place a terminal assessment requirement, whereby a proportion of the overall assessment for the qualification must be taken in the final series of the two-year course. This must take the form of Assessment by Examination, set and marked by the awarding organisation. The proportion for each subject is set out within this consultation. This means that a significant proportion of assessment will take place at the end of the course. While this could increase exam anxiety for some students, it will support standard setting in the overall qualification. Effective standard setting will increase fairness for all students as grading will be more consistent across awarding organisations. 

The impact of requiring terminal assessment is mitigated as it allows more time for teaching and learning, helping to ensure students are well prepared for the assessment, while also reducing the amount of assessment throughout the course. As a proportion of the assessment is likely to take place in the first year of study, and a compensatory approach to marking will be used, students’ overall grades will not be entirely reliant on their performance at the end of the qualification. 

Assessment availability 

Ofqual's Qualification Level Conditions (QLCs) for V Levels require that the new qualifications have a modular assessment structure, with assessments available at appropriate points throughout the programme of study. Modular assessment approaches can support learner motivation and engagement, and mastery learning. There is some evidence that modular assessment designs can support some groups of learners to maintain a consistent level of engagement and performance where this might otherwise be more variable. [Footnote 1] 

The opportunity to retake assessments in modular qualifications can be viewed negatively as leading to grade inflation or more positively as allowing students, particularly those who are disadvantaged, to attain more highly than they otherwise could.  

We have not proposed restricting opportunities to retake assessments, although the availability of assessments will naturally limit the number of opportunities to retake assessments. We think this is proportionate as it will allow some opportunity to retake assessments but will prevent students from repeatedly retaking assessments, which would have an impact on time available for teaching and learning. Overall, we think this approach would have a positive impact. 

On-screen assessment 

In relation to on-screen assessment, the anticipated equality impacts were set out in more detail in the equality impact assessment for the consultation Regulating on-screen assessment published in December 2025.  

The guiding principles consulted on in December have informed our approach to the use of on-screen assessment in Assessment by Examination in V Levels. They set out expectations for fairness and accessibility, including that on‑screen assessment should maintain, and wherever possible enhance, accessibility for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In practice, the accessibility impacts of on‑screen assessment may vary depending on individual needs and assessment design, and our proposals therefore seek to support accessibility, including for those students with SEND who may benefit from an on‑screen mode of assessment. 

The availability of on‑screen assessment as a reasonable adjustment will not be restricted where it is necessary and appropriate to meet the specific accessibility needs of disabled students. 

[Footnote 1] Baird et al. (2019), Examination Reform: Impact of Linear and Modular Examinations at GCSE, Ofqual.